Accessing mental health support can be difficult for families in rural, regional and remote Australia.
With the drought and COVID-19 pandemic having an impact on livelihoods, we are finding that more and more families in the outback are requesting our vital mental health services to help them develop coping strategies.
With the growing need for mental health services, we have developed a new and welcoming ‘Wellbeing Place’ in Broken Hill. Thanks to the support of our generous donors, our rapidly expanding Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs Team has moved from our Broken Hill base to a new, specially designed space in the heart of town where they will be more accessible to those living, working and travelling through Broken Hill.
The space is the first stage of a multi-year project, which will bring mental health and therapeutic services to Broken Hill and surrounding towns. “The idea is to bring our team together under one roof and create a safe entry point for people to access professional support and engage in activities to enhance or maintain their sense of wellbeing,” explains Vanessa Latham, Mental Health Manager.
“When people travel to town, they will now be able to access our team more easily and in a more homely and warm environment.”
“The Wellbeing Place provides an opportunity to expand our range of services from clinical treatment to workshops and programs for wellbeing. There is space for yoga, meditation practice and group workshops, a ‘shed’ for skills building, and areas for people to mingle and hang out, making positive connections. We are also building a library full of books and resources to enhance wellbeing,” Vanessa says.
Thank you once again for helping to provide these vital mental health services, we are excited to be working with donors and funding partners this year to begin the next stages of this important project. We look forward to keeping you updated!
